Psalm of the Pheonix
by kronosdragon
Summary: A grandmaster of kung-fu has gone missing, and a new threat has risen from the ashes of Lord Shen's defeat.  A haunting song plays on the wind, foretelling a storm that will rain eternal if our heroes fail.  War drums pound in the distance...Rated T


**Psalm of the Phoenix**

_A KFP fanfiction_

_Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kung Fu Panda, Dreamworks, or any of its affiliates._

"My liege…Lord Shen has fallen…"

The sound of glass shattering on the floor made everyone cringe. Servants rushed in to sweep up the broken glass and clean the wine from the stone floor. The messenger, a young goose just entering into the business, looked down at the floor in fear of invoking the rage of the monstrous creature before him. The throne room was silent, save for the hurried footsteps of the servants and the scraping of broom bristles across the stone. The massive figure arose from his stone seat, the goose standing in his shadow as the only speck of color in the darkness.

The figure looked down at him with piercing, yellow eyes. He took in a deep breath, his nostrils flared in an unspoken fury.

"Prepare the cavalry," he said, his voice low, almost a whisper. "We leave at twilight."

Shifu sat atop his staff, meditating before the moon pool. He looked up at the golden dragon that clung to the ceiling, his gaping maw now empty. He had returned from helping Masters Ox and Croc rebuild Gongmen city, and a new council building had begun to rise from the ashes and rubble of the fallen palace, with Master Thundering Rhino's grave encircled by a peaceful garden in the courtyard. It had been painful, seeing the very place that his friend and ally had made his last stand. The Cloud Hammer had been given to the Master's eldest son, who in turn felt it deserved to be placed in the Sacred Hall of Warriors. Shifu had brought the renowned weapon back from the city, and had given it a special place beside the armor of Master Flying Rhino, Thundering Rhino's father.

Now, he sat in the hall, encircled by the dozens of candles around the pool, the peach petals drifting lazily on its placid surface. From what he believed, Po and the Five were taking a well-earned rest after the events leading up to Lord Shen's death. They had fought hard and valiantly, only to turn around and aid Gongmen city in its 2-month long cleanup period. The area was still roughed up, but with the help of Po and Five, the process of clearing the debris and setting up temporary shelters for those who had lost homes had gone by much faster. Shifu couldn't help but chuckle at his reflections. Despite the grim air, Po had managed to keep the joy alive, even for the families who would have to start over. Children seemed to love the panda, and it was hardly a question as to why.

Shifu closed his eyes as a smile came to his lips. Things were, for the time being, peaceful again. He hoped that Oogway would be proud. Before he could go back to his meditation, the doors of the hall opened and the loud pattering of webbed feet met his ears. He turned with a questioning gaze to the goose who stood, panting and out of breath, before him. The goose bowed to him repeatedly.

"Master Shifu, I apologize for interrupting you, but I have a message of utmost importance for you! It's from the Emperor!"

Shifu was caught off guard. It had been years since Emperor Long had called upon him for anything.

"Well?"

The goose handed him the golden scroll that was tied around his waist.

"I am forbidden to read it, Master Shifu. Emperor's orders," he said with another apologetic bow.

Shifu took the scroll and opened it as the goose stood by for his response. His eyes scanned quickly over the document, and his heart sank into the deepest pit of his stomach. Master Phoenix, one of the two remaining Mythic Masters, had disappeared in the night, leaving Master Kirin alone in the Temple of Astral Wisdom. Both Masters were responsible for the protection of the Emperor and the Imperial City, and normally Master Kirin would have gone after him, had he not had a vision of an impending attack on the provinces to the northeast of the city. He would be needed to guard the Emperor, so they called upon the next Master in rank, and that was Master Shifu.

"Messenger, take a note to the Emperor."

The goose whipped out a piece of parchment and a quill, dipping the end into a small vial of ink that was stored on his belt. He looked at Shifu expectantly.

"We will travel to the Imperial City at dawn's light. We should be there in three days by boat."

The goose hastily scribbled down his message.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, that will be all."

The goose bowed again and hurried away. Shifu sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Of course…"

He left the Hall of Warriors and headed up to the barracks. He would have to make sure that everyone was around to hear the news.

"Are you saying that Master Phoenix was…kidnapped?" Tigress asked, raising an eyebrow. "His Burning Feathers technique makes him unapproachable by an enemy. How could he have been kidnapped?"

"That puzzles me as well. All I know is that the Emperor himself has sent for our aid in the investigation, and it is our duty to respond when he calls."

Tigress nodded. Viper and Mantis looked over at Po, who was still struck by the idea of one of the Mythic Masters being kidnapped.

"W-What do you mean, kidnapped? Masters Phoenix and Kirin are like, seconded only by Master Oogway! How could they have been-"

He stopped and closed his mouth as it sank in. He crossed his arms and thought, one of his ears twitching.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" he asked, suddenly looking very chipper and energetic. "We should get going! The Imperial City waits for no one!"

Tigress and the others looked at him, then at Master Shifu.

"We'll pack light," Viper said, bowing her head to her master. Shifu nodded back.

"I will prepare a boat to take us up the Yellow River. It will be a good 3 days before we arrive, maybe four if it rains."

Shifu dismissed his pupils as he headed down the stairs into town. He would need to charter a small boat for all six of them, and one that would take them upriver at the beginning of the monsoon season. His chances? Slim. If he couldn't get a boat, he would have to take them on foot, and that would take a week or longer to travel that far without exhausting them. The threat of bandits was no easy matter, either. For some reason, wolves and crocodiles have been growing bolder, despite Lord Shen's defeat. They should have disbanded, but instead, they were growing in number and strength. Shifu had his suspicions that someone else was behind this, not just Lord Shen.

"Chuluun Khan, you have a visitor…"

Luminescent yellow eyes looked up from the scroll of parchment that they had been scanning. An old goat in shackles had been brought before him in the shadowed throne room, forced to sit on her knees with her glowering eyes looking up from beneath her brow. She had a fire to her that was reminiscent of a stern grandmother. Khan stood, his brown fur bristling.

"Ah, Soothsayer. It has been a long time since you last entered my halls."

The wolves standing behind her bowed before him.

"We found the old bat heading toward the gate, asking to see you."

"Release her shackles. She is no threat."

The guards nodded and removed the shackles from her wrists and ankles. The old goat didn't take her eyes off of Khan.

"Chuluun, this has to stop," she said firmly. The mass of fur chuckled as it reclined on its stone throne.

"Pray tell, why should I? You know that Shen failed, and that means it is time for me to step up."

"What do you hope to gain? First, you corrupted young Shen, making him blind to his own future by planting the seed of hate and selfishness in his breast. How far will you go to obtain your fantasy world?"

The figure stood up from his seat, an air of laziness about him. He walked into the single ray of light coming from the roof of the ancient temple he stood within. He was a magnificent Gobi bear, golden-brown fur silky and regal, yet his visage was that of a grizzled warrior. A single scar stretched from above one eye and down to the line of his jaw. His face and posture withheld the true intellect that one could only see in his yellowed eyes. He, standing at a good 6 and-a-half feet tall, looked down at the old goat, which only came up to his waist.

"I will do what I must to achieve my goals," he said softly. "It was prophesized that I would inherit the world. You said so yourself, Soothsayer."

"I said that you had the potential to be the greatest ruler in history, should you choose the correct path to travel. You strayed from that path long ago."

Chuluun chuckled.

"I don't think you understand. The ancient texts of our ancestors spoke of a golden bear that would lead their homeland to victory against all who opposed it. That leader would be the blood of the gods, a ruler immortal, _the world's own savior_. The world is my birthright, and I will do everything to take what is rightfully mine."

"You would even throw your own brother to the wolves?" Soothsayer spat. "Because as I recall, that is what happened thirty years ago."

"I resent that," said one of the guards.

"Silence!"

Chuluun's voice echoed like a thunderclap in the darkness. He knelt down to Soothsayer's level and looked her in the eye.

"I commanded you never to bring that up."

"You know it is true, and somewhere deep in your heart, you know that this is no way to exact revenge. You are seeking solace for what you've done, and you think that by taking the world by force, you will be able to fill that void that your brother left when he died for you!"

"Rah!"

Losing his temper, Chuluun landed a firm backhand across the goat's snout. She looked away from him as he panted, his eyes burning with rage. Her face stung, and large welt was beginning to rise beneath her fur and reddened skin.

"…Remove her."

Chuluun growled as he moved back to his throne, the throne he had inherited from the gods themselves, in the temple that had been built more than 300 hundred years ago for the ancient ancestors. This hidden, underground ruin was his home, and he would not allow the likes of the Soothsayer to soil it with foul words against the prophecies that foretold him to be the rightful heir to the world.

A/N: And that's the end of chapter one. If you would like to read more, please leave me a review. :)


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